Skylines

The aliens look better than ever, Morgan delivers just the right kind of dry-witted action heroics, and Skylines takes the trip to the stars that the franchise has been promising.

Every bit of this movie yearns to be on the same proverbial shelf as something like Bay “Transformers” or Anderson’s “Resident Evil” films, but it doesn’t do enough to carve out its own space. An alien planet shouldn’t look this rote; same goes with the life-or-death action that happens on it.

The first two movies are packed with “I can’t believe that just happened!” moments. The third one instead chains together a series of “Oh yeah, I’ve seen this before” scenes.

The players give it their best, as tedious exercises like this are rarely the fault of the cast. The fight choreography rises to “adequate.” The effects are OK — mostly — a planet overrun with “pilots,” another filled with semi-visible alien versions called “shadow creatures.

Great installment in a surprisingly entertaining trilogy. Worthwhile the watch.

D: The film's finished P: Cool, is at least as good as the first two? Oh, and what's the runtime? D: Yeah, it takes a bit of a different direction though, but you'll love it. P: That's great, how long is it? D: It has great SFX, we've switched from Independence Day to Stargate as a theme. Also crammed in all those Aliens references you wanted. P: Super. You seem to be avoiding questions about it's length though? D: How to you mean? P: You know, runtime, length, duration, how long does my bladder have to hold out since we don't have intervals now? D: Ah, well, it's a little over 3,600 seconds. P: You mean an hour? D: No, well, yeah, okay. It is. But it does everything it needs to. Honest. P: Dude, the third instalment has to be be the longest - we've really got to be pushing bladder control here! The studio demands it. D: Well, I've got nothing else.... P: How about we hire someone to direct a really high quality first half that won't feel like it's been crammed in at all? D: Yeah, cool. Can we keep the same dialog writer though? P: What, you mean the fella who wrote "There's no use fighting it", "Now I am become death", "We're not in Kansas anymore", "I have to finish this myself" and other such classics? D: Yeah, that's him! P: Okay, whatever. But what about that line "Between your serum and my ship we have enough power now to cure everyone."? D: What do you mean? P: So, how does Rose know about the Serum? D: Well, um, you know, she just does, she has alien super powers or magic or something.... P: And how does the doc know about Rose's ship? D: Well, err, again, ah, ok, okay, hmm... P: Look, never mind. Folk will love it anyway - it's proper action filled, disengage brain B-Movie fodder like the first two. D: We also have a load of outtakes in the end titles - does that help? P: Hell yes, why didn't you mention that before? We'll just get a temp to churn out the first half - an outtake reel fixes everything! D: what about the critics - what will they think? P: "There's no use fighting it" maybe? Oh, look, they'll probably think it's arty or something - we've got the acting legend James Cosmo in a staring role after all! D: Who?

This film takes everything great from the previous 2 installments and really pushed those few elements in what is the best of the 3 films. Skylin3s is a fun and enjoyable action/sci fi film Lindsey Morgan is a great lead and a fan favorite in the genre with her badass portrayal of Raven in the 100.

Some films know exactly what territory they’re operating in. Skylines doesn’t try to disguise itself as profound sci-fi or a prestige blockbuster with deep philosophical weight. It’s straightforward space action, hostile aliens, and a near-suicidal mission that wastes no time with overcomplication. Within that framework, it works better than **** pacing is brisk and the energy rarely drops. Not everything is polished, and the budget occasionally shows, but there’s a certain honesty to the whole thing. It doesn’t pretend to be smarter than it is. It leans into explosions, combat, and high-stakes decisions with conviction.Visually, it delivers, especially in creature design, which feels more refined than in previous entries. The effects aren’t groundbreaking, but they’re sufficient to sustain the scale the story demands. The slightly exaggerated tone also helps smooth over rough edges. The film embraces its unrestrained sci-fi identity.Narratively, there are few real surprises. The story unfolds along fairly predictable lines, yet the momentum keeps it engaging. In this type of film, energy often matters more than sophistication. It understands its limits and operates within them.Skylines is pure entertainment without philosophical ambitions or heavy dramatic weight. The franchise may have once hinted at something bigger, but here the intent is clear. It won’t redefine the genre, but it does what it sets out to do and remains watchable throughout.

I'm shocked this became a trilogy but I can understand why. Liam O’Donnell also directed the first sequel, and I have to say that that one was way more rewarding than this one, even within its range and its own limitations, something that it doesn't achieve. Nothing better to watch/weekend film.